 "Photo: KRT Campus")
Fifty Missouri scientists and institutions, including several Washington University researchers, received a letter from Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich in late August encouraging them to "explore the possibility of moving to Illinois and the promise of stem cell research."
Blagojevich, who authorized $10 million in state grants over the next year for stem cell research, aims to make Illinois a leader in stem cell exploration and intends to do so by attracting top scientists.
Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt supports embryonic stem cell research, in line with 71 percent of Missourians, according to the results of a February poll conducted by Republican Fred Steeper and Market Strategies, a national polling firm. Yet a number of other Republicans in the state legislature do not support this research, which may make Illinois seem like a more attractive environment for researchers to carry out their work.
For the past three years, Missouri State Senator Matt Bartle (R-8th District) has introduced anti-stem cell legislation. Congress has repeatedly voted against Bartle's bills, but his efforts remain a continual source of worry for Missourians who support stem cell research.
William Neaves, the president and CEO of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, said Blagojevich's invitation is "a reminder that the promise of early stem cell research is being actively pursued and supported in other states."
Neaves reports that the Stowers Institute has not yet lost any researchers as a result of increased stem cell funding in other states, but that may be due to the fact that the institute has a private research endowment of more than $2 billion.
Now, due to Blagojevich's letter inviting Missouri stem cell scientists to transfer their work to Illinois, some worry that a brain drain will occur if researchers decide to move to states where the future of stem cell research does not seem as endangered.
Washington University, along with Stowers Institute, which is affiliated with the Washington University Medical School, is one of the leading opponents to the Missouri bills to ban stem cell research. The anti-stem cell bill aims to prohibit and criminalize cloning, which includes a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer.
The somatic cell nuclear transfer process uses a patient's nonreproductive cells, otherwise known as somatic cells, and an unfertilized human egg to make embryonic stem cells. This presents an alternative to obtaining such cells by way of the leftover embryos at fertility clinics that would otherwise be destroyed after in vitro fertilization procedures.
"The new frontier in stem cell research involves early, or 'embryonic,' stem cells," said Neaves. "Unlike adult stem cells, [embryonic stem] cells have the potential to turn into and regenerate any type of cell or tissue in the human body."
Research on adult stem cells, which are taken from adult tissues, has been conducted for more than 50 years and has yielded successful treatments, such as bone marrow transplants for cancer patients. The unique potential of embryonic stem cells to develop into any other type of cell means that they could be used for transplantation that the body won't reject. Therefore they may provide cures for a huge number of presently incurable diseases and injuries, including diabetes and Parkinson's disease.
Given the promising qualities of research on embryonic stem cells, Steven Teitelbaum, professor of pathology and immunology, has devoted a great deal of time and effort to campaigning against Senator Bartle's anti-cloning bills.
"I come to work both as a scientist and as a citizen...If this University does not participate in stem cell research, we will not be making a contribution," said Teitelbaum.
With this in mind, Teitelbaum has testified before the Missouri Congress in Jefferson City, spoken with a number of legislators and given lectures throughout the state in order to set the facts straight and emphasize the potential of this line of research.
In these lectures, Teitelbaum makes it clear that somatic cell nuclear transfer does not involve a sperm fertilizing an egg, and he has found that in many cases people become strong advocates of stem cell research once they understand this distinction. At the same time, Teitelbaum knows that it is important not to promise too much, making it clear that "we never know if science works until we do the experiments."
Although efforts such as Teitelbaum's have been met with success thus far, as the anti-stem cell bill has not been passed, researchers like Teitelbaum now face the new concern of losing colleagues and research assistants to other states.
In light of these concerns, the Stowers Institute is working closely with the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, a coalition of organizations and citizens who believe that "any stem cell research, therapies or cures that are permitted by federal law should be allowed in Missouri--provided that such activities are conducted ethically and safely and do not involve human cloning to create babies."
As Blagojevich's letter was sent to some University faculty, Teitelbaum is also worried about the future of stem cell research.
"My concern is if regressive legislation passes in this state, we will no longer be able to recruit the talent that we've traditionally been able to," said Teitelbaum, who is proud of how supportive the University and Chancellor Wrighton have been.
"The University has taken a very courageous position that other universities have hesitated to do," said Teitelbaum.
